How the game is played 

Wheelchair tennis follows the same rules as able-bodied tennis, with just one key difference: the ball is allowed to bounce twice. Players compete on standard courts in singles and doubles formats – with divisions for men, women, juniors and quad athletes.

The sport is fast, tactical and highly skilled – and it’s played at every level, from community events to the Australian Open. 

Tennis without barriers 

Wheelchair tennis is fast, tactical and open to anyone with a physical impairment that affects mobility or balance and requires the use of a chair on court. You don’t need to be classified to get started – just a racquet, a chair and a willingness to play. The pathway is open to all: from social rallies to Grand Slam showdowns.

Players compete in two divisions:

  • Open division: Lower-limb impairment.
  • Quad division: Impairment in at least three limbs.

Coaching and inclusive play

Wheelchair tennis is played on a standard court with standard racquets and balls, but with key adaptations that support mobility, fairness and high-level play.

Rules and equipment

  • Players are allowed two bounces – the second may land outside the court. 
  • The wheelchair is considered part of the body.
  • Standard racquets and balls are used. 

Classifications and categories

Playing with power and precision

A fast, tactical format shaped by world-class athletes. Explore the rules, strategy and standout moments that define wheelchair tennis – including highlights from legends like Dylan Alcott and Esther Vergeer.

Competitive pathways 

The pathway includes local comps, elite training and global events – including the Grand Slams and Paralympics. Tennis Australia supports classification, coaching and international selection.

Key events:

  • Australian Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
  • Australian Open Wheelchair Championships.
  • UNIQLO ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
  • BNP Paribas World Team Cup.
  • Paralympic Games.

Need help?

Looking for support, classification info or next steps? Get in touch or email us on wheelchairtennis@tennis.com.au

Frequently asked questions

You play on a standard court with standard equipment. Players are allowed two bounces – the second can land outside the lines – and the chair is considered part of the body.

Players serve, rally and score just like in any match. The key differences are the two-bounce rule and the use of a sports chair for movement and balance. 

Players are grouped based on how their impairment affects movement and control.

  • Open division: Lower-limb impairment with full upper-body function.
  • Quad division: Impairment in at least three limbs, affecting grip and/or balance.

Only players competing in International Tennis Federation or Paralympic events need to be classified. Social players don’t need to meet any eligibility criteria.

Twice. The second bounce can land outside the court.

Quad tennis is a classification within wheelchair tennis for players with impairment in at least three limbs. Players may tape the racquet or use assistive grips.

For official competitions, yes. But many clubs welcome social players of all abilities.

In 2024, the total prize pool for wheelchair events exceeded AUD $1 million across men’s, women’s and quad draws.

How we support players

We're committed to helping players participate, progress and perform – from first-time rallies to international competition. Support includes:

  • inclusive coaching and venues – through clubs, TA Wheelchair Hubs and trained coaches
  • development camps and squads – for skill-building and performance
  • ITF and national events – including the Australian Open Wheelchair Championships 
  • pathway planning and classification – to support long-term goals.

Am I eligible? 

You don’t need to be classified to get started – just a racquet, a chair and a willingness to play. 
 
For competitive play at national or international level, players must have a permanent physical impairment that affects mobility or balance. Eligibility is based on how the impairment impacts function, not just the medical diagnosis.

 

 

Impairment type

 

 

 

 

Examples 

 

 



Limb deficiency



Amputation, congenital limb absence



Impaired muscle power



Spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, nerve damage



Impaired range of movement



Join stiffness or fusion in hip, knee or ankle



Leg length difference



At least 7cm difference between legs



Neurological conditions



Cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spasticity, ataxia, athetosis

Classification and rules 

Players seeking to compete at national or international level must meet the International Tennis Federation’s minimum eligibility criteria and complete a formal classification.

Performance pathways

Whether you're learning to rally or aiming for the Paralympics, the Wheelchair Tennis pathway includes:

  • Clubs – inclusive programs at local venues
  • Squads – state-based training groups
  • Camps – for development and elite performance
  • UNIQLO ITF Tour – international competition.

Wheelchair Tennis is a global sport – players can progress from local squads to international events, including:

  • ITF Futures and Series tournaments – entry-level to elite events
  • Grand Slams – including the Australian Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros and US Open
  • Paralympic Games – held every four years for classified athletes
  • BNP Paribas World Team Cup – the sport’s flagship international team event.

To compete internationally, players must:

  • meet the ITF minimum eligibility criteria
  • be formally classified
  • hold an ITF IPIN (International Player Identification Number).  

BNP Paribas World Team Cup 2026 – Australian representative selection criteria

The BNP Paribas World Team Cup is the pinnacle international team event on the ITF UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

All players seeking selection to the 2026 Australian Representative Teams for BNP Paribas World Team Cup in 2026, please refer to the following documents:

Any questions on the above outlined selection criteria and processes, please email wheelchairtennis@tennis.com.au.

Find a coach or inclusive venue 

Wheelchair tennis is offered at clubs and Tennis Australia Wheelchair Hubs across Australia, with inclusive coaching and programs designed to support all experience levels. If you're looking to get on court, we’ll help you connect with a local coach, club or venue.

If you don’t see a location listed nearby, fill in our form or email wheelchairtennis@tennis.com.au and we’ll support you to get started. 

State coaches 

These coaches deliver wheelchair tennis programs at clubs and across Australia.

Venues marked with an asterisk are part of Tennis Australia’s Wheelchair Hubs supported network.

StateVenueLocationCoachContact
ACTNorth Woden Tennis Club*De Largie Pl, Hughes, ACT 2605Frank Calabria0438 258 624
NSWBlacktown Tennis Centre*Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens, NSW, 2768Elton Stoney(02) 9421 2600
NSWCity Community Tennis*Alexandria Park Tennis Courts,7 Park Rd, Alexandria NSW 2015Keegan Oh Chee0433 899 644
NSWVoyager TennisSydneySteve Manley & Lochie Mortensenlochie@voyagertennis.com
NSWEvolve Tennis Academy/Collaroy Tennis Club*Griffith Park, Anzac Ave, Collaroy, NSW, 2097Paula Gibson-Roy(02) 9971 0644
NSWNepean Tennis Club2260 Castlereagh Rd, Penrith NSW 2750Carey Sinden(02) 4721 2880
NSWWestside Tennis Club*Coffs HarbourAllan Pade0419 655 437
NSWGerringong Tennis ClubGerringongDaniel Jones0413 225 431
QLDBaseline Tennis AcademyCairns 0450 622 307
QLDCanterbury Taipans Inc.Old Logan Village Road, Waterford, QLD, 4133Drew Parker(07) 3299 0900
QLDDiscovery Park Tennis ClubDiscovery Drive, Helensvale, QLD, 4212Glen Bowe0466 439 660
QLDMudgeeraba Tennis Club*316 Mudgeeraba Tennis ClubKelvin Orsi0478 682 682
QLDQueens Park Tennis19 Queen St, Southport QLD 4215Gavin Vickers(07) 5531 2725
QLDMalpass Tennis1 Hilton Street, East Brisbane, QLD, 4169Tyrone Smart(07) 3393 0093
QLDQueensland Tennis Centre190 King Arthur TerraceCasey Herbohn(07) 32143800
SAWoodville Orion Tennis Club*31 Oval Ave, Woodville South 5011Craig Palfrey0438 171 183
SATea Tree Gully Tennis Club88 Elizabeth St, Banksia Park, SA 5091Tayla Garratttayla.garratt7@gmail.com
VICBundoora Tennis Club*145A Greenwood Dr., Bundoora 3083John Hampson0402 296 835
VICClarinda Tennis Club4-14 Crawford Rd, Clarinda VIC 3169Marco Persi0435 021 536
VICDandenong Tennis Club20 Bennet St, Dandenong VIC 3175Rob Hilbig0416 758 107
VICGeelong Adaptive Sports – Geelong Lawn Tennis Club*12-20 Sommers St, Belmont VIC 3216Dave Swift0413 846 464
VICOcean Grove Tennis ClubSurfside Location – Shell RoadJacob Grills0439 471 439
VICTennis WorldOlympic Blvd, Melbourne VIC 3004Joel Compagnino1300 836 647
VICHume Community and Tennis Centre*225 Marathon Blvd, Craigieburn VIC 3064Lawrence Gileno1300 HUME TC (486 382)
VICWodonga Tennis Centre*Dalgeish StreetWodonga, VIC3690Cameron Meagher0422 137 891
TASDevonport Tennis Club*Eugene St, Devonport TAS 7310Phillipa Martin0438 687 542
WAThe Tennis ProClyde Road, Menora, WA, 6050Ian Ketteringham0432 432 097
WAManning Tennis Club*Corner of Griffin Crescent and, 54 Elderfield Rd, Manning WA 6153Dwayne Augustindea211@hotmail.com
WAMt Helena Tennis ClubAustin Close, Mount Helena WA 6082 mt.helena.tennis.club@gmail.com
WARebound WAMirrabooka admin@reboundwa.com

*= Tennis Australia-supported wheelchair tennis hubs

National coaches 

These coaches lead national development and performance programs and can support players progressing through the pathway.

StateVenueLocationCoachContact
VICNational Academy- VictoriaNational Tennis Centre, MelbourneFrancois Vogelsbergerfvogelsberger@tennis.com.au
VICNational Academy- VictoriaNational Tennis Centre, MelbourneGreg Crumpgcrump@tennis.com.au
NSWNational Academy – NSWSydney Olympic Park, SydneyKeagan McCrohonKeagan.McCrohon@tennis.com.au

Top 5 tips for Wheelchair Tennis 

2025 tournament calendar 

Tennis Australia hosts a full calendar of sanctioned tournaments – including community events, International Tennis Federation (ITF) tour stops and national championships.

Things you need to know 

  • Eligibility: Players must have a permanent physical impairment affecting mobility or balance.
  • Classification: Required for ITF and Paralympic events.
  • IPIN: An International Player Identification Number is needed for ITF tournaments.  

Junior Wheelchair Development Series

Come and try wheelchair tennis 

Part of the 2025 Junior Development Series, proudly supported by Melrose Wheelchairs, these friendly events are a great way for young players to experience the game and build confidence on court. 

STARTENDEVENT NAMEVENUESTATE TYPEPRIZESURFACEENTRY
OPENING DATE
ENTRY
CLOSING DATE
CONTACT
NAME
CONTACT
PHONE
CONTACT E-MAIL
6/01/202510/01/20252025 Victorian Wheelchair OpenHume Tennis & Community CentreVICITF1$32,000USDPlexicushion  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199Wheelchairtournaments@tennis.com.au
12/01/202517/01/20252025 Melbourne Wheelchair OpenHume Tennis & Community CentreVICSuper Series$45,000USDPlexicushion  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199Wheelchairtournaments@tennis.com.au
20/01/202525/01/20252025 Australian Open Wheelchair ChampionshipsMelbourne ParkVICGrand SlamTBAPlexicushion  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199Wheelchairtournaments@tennis.com.au
29/03/202530/03/20252025 City Community Tennis Wheelchair AMTCity Community TennisNSWAMT$500Plexicushion10/02/202519/03/2025Marita Morgan marita@citycommunitytennis.com.au
9/04/202510/04/20252025 Australian Wheelchair Teams EventNational Tennis CentreVICNationalsNAPlexicushion  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199Wheelchairtournaments@tennis.com.au
11/04/202513/04/20252025 Melbourne Wheelchair ClassicMelbourne Park (Clay)VICITF Futures$3,000USDClay  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199Wheelchairtournaments@tennis.com.au
5/05/202511/05/20252025 ITF World Team Cup  ITF       
1/07/20253/07/20252025 Brisbane Wheelchair OpenQueensland Tennis CentreQLDITF Futures$3,000USDPlexicushion  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199WheelchairTournaments@tennis.com.au
4/07/20257/07/20252025 Queensland Wheelchair OpenQueensland Tennis CentreQLDITF3$14,000USDPlexicushion  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199WheelchairTournaments@tennis.com.au
11/07/202515/07/20252025 WA Wheelchair OpenState Tennis CentreWACommunityNAPlexicushion23/05/20251/07/2025Brad Ladyman0498 572 395bradley.ladyman@tennis.com.au
19/09/202521/09/20252025 NSW Wheelchair OpenCity Community TennisNSWITF Futures$3,000USDPlexicushion  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199Wheelchairtournaments@tennis.com.au
23/09/202525/09/20252025 Canberra Wheelchair OpenCanberra Tennis CentreACTITF Futures$3,000USDPlexicushion  Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199Wheelchairtournaments@tennis.com.au
7/11/20259/11/20252025 Australian National Wheelchair Tennis ChampionshipsNational Tennis CentreVICNational Plexicushion31/08/202527/10/2025Daniel O’Neill0466 928 199WheelchairTournaments@tennis.com.au
22/11/202523/11/20252025 19th Northern NSW Wheelchair Tennis TournamentWestside Tennis Club, Coffs HarbourNSWCommunity$500Hardcourt  Allan Pade0419 655 437harbourtennis@bigpond.com
28/11/202530/12/20252025 Peter Smith SA Community Wheelchair OpenThe Drive & Next Gen Memorial DriveSACommunityNAPlexicushion10/10/202518/11/2025Brad Poole0403 107 258bradley.pool@tennis.com.au